


toy trucks

by peachsneakers



Series: sanders sides agere [16]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Coloring, Fluff, Gen, Non Sexual Age Regression, Platonic Dukeceit - Freeform, Platonic Intruality, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23370466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsneakers/pseuds/peachsneakers
Summary: Patton didn't know what he was getting into when he volunteered to watch Remus.(the Patton story hinted at in"how bad can i be?")
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: sanders sides agere [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618099
Comments: 36
Kudos: 216





	1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure?" Deceit asks doubtfully. Behind him, a regressed Remus sprawls out on the floor, coloring. A green pacifier is lodged firmly in his mouth, with an octopus printed on the front.

"Of course!" Patton says, his tone jovial. "I'd love to. I- I should get to know him better anyway, right? What better time? I watch Virgil all the time when he's regressed and it really helped us bond, I think!"

"Remus isn't _like_ Virgil," Deceit points out. Patton cheerfully ignores the skepticism on Deceit's face.

"I know that," he says, with a little laugh. "But you can't deny I'm good at helping out!"

"Perhaps," Deceit says, heaving a sigh. "Fine. But only because Thomas needs me." He hesitates. "Call me if something goes wrong?"

"Sure," Patton easily agrees. Privately, he doubts that he'll ever need to call Deceit. Why should he? He'll be _fantastic_ at this. What could go wrong? Look, Remus is even coloring away, just like Virgil likes to! He knows Remus is a little more rambunctious and regresses to an older age than Virgil does (Virgil's favorite things are coloring, watching cartoons, and cuddling until he inevitably falls asleep), but he's no slacker himself in the energy department.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Deceit says, a frown twisting his mouth. "Don't let him watch anything you wouldn't let a kid in the real world see. He should only have edible snacks when he's regressed, his stomach can't handle his usual choice of consumables. _Watch him_. Don't take your eyes off him for a second."

"He'll be fine, Deceit!" Patton chirps. "Don't worry. Go help Thomas." He manages to eke out the last sentence with a minimum of fuss. It's hard even now to admit that Thomas does _need_ Deceit, but he thinks he's been working on that quite well.

"Hey, little kraken," Deceit says, squatting on his heels. Remus looks up, still sucking on his pacifier. "I have to go help Thomas with something, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can. Patton has agreed to watch you, all right?"

"Want Lo Lo," Remus says sulkily around his pacifier. Deceit sighs, running gloved fingers through the grey streak in Remus's hair.

"I know," he says. "But Lo Lo has to help Thomas right now, too, I'm afraid. And your brother's away in the Imagination for the next day or two." Remus's bottom lip quivers. Deceit leans forward, planting a tiny kiss on Remus's forehead.

"It's just for a little while," he reassures Remus. The creative side looks utterly heartbroken and Patton's heart cracks a little at the sight.

"It's okay, Remus," Patton says, coming up next to Deceit. "We can have lots of fun while Deceit is helping Thomas."

"Really?" Remus asks, eyeing him doubtfully. Stung, Patton nods.

"Of course," he says, resolute.

"Watch him," Deceit repeats, yellow snake's eye boring into him. Then he sinks down, off to help Thomas with his new dilemma. A little shaken, Patton turns to Remus, who's resumed his coloring.

"So, what are you coloring?" Patton asks, with a cheery smile. Remus looks up and grins, revealing a gap in his teeth.

"Belle at the ball!" He exclaims. "But Belle got her arms ripped off by the Beast." Patton swallows hard, his face going pale.

 _What on earth have I gotten myself into?_ He thinks, struggling to summon up a word or two of praise for the regressed side in front of him.

Deceit had just left and Patton already couldn't wait for him to return.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wanna help?" Remus asks, proffering a red crayon. Patton swallows, his face going slightly pale at the thought of participating in even the crayon version of mutilating a Disney princess, and shakes his head.

"Sorry, kiddo, but I think you've got it down!" He says, hoping he still sounds cheerful. Remus's face droops for a second, before he turns back to his picture. Patton racks his brain for a distraction. Maybe toys? Does Remus like to play with toy cars or something?

"Do you want to watch cartoons?" He asks, seizing on one of Virgil's favorite activities. He doesn't think Remus would like the same shows, but hey, what does he know. Maybe Remus _does_ like _Sofia the First._

"Sure!" Remus says eagerly. "Wanna watch _Billy and Mandy_!"

"Does Deceit let you watch that?" Patton asks, skeptic. From what he remembers of the show, it's not exactly...appropriate. One of the characters is _Death_ , for Pete's sake! But Remus is peeking up at him with bright glass green eyes and he finds himself sighing and agreeing, scrambling to find the remote and turn on the television.

As the episode plays, Patton gets more and more antsy. Surely this can't be good for him. There's an enormous alien _brain_ creature going around and stealing everyone else's brains! Remus keeps looking up from his picture and giggling, especially at the end.

"Why don't we watch something else?" Patton suggests. Remus sticks out his bottom lip in a pout.

"Why?" He asks. "Are you scared?"

"No," Patton denies, although he has a strong feeling the alien brain is going to show up in his dreams that night. "It just doesn't seem appropriate, that's all."

"I'm not _Virgil_ ," Remus scowls. "I'm not a _baby_."

"Hey," Patton says, nettled. "Don't call Virgil that." Remus frowns in confusion.

"But he _is_ ," Remus says. Patton opens his mouth to rebut that, then closes it with an abrupt click. Virgil regresses to around toddler age, not a baby, but can he really explain that to Remus when he's regressed? Perhaps all children younger than he is fall into the "baby" category.

"Okay," Patton says aloud. "What about _Octonauts_? Have you ever seen that?" To his relief, Remus perks back up, grabbing a stuffed octopus from the floor next to him.

"Yeah!" He says, excited. "I like that show! There are octopuses! And squid!"

"There are," Patton agrees, relieved. He switches the channel, smiling as the familiar pastels of the underwater show fill the screen. This is much better, he reflects, looking at Remus's studiously bent head. There. He's not doing badly at this at all.

"Hey!" Remus blurts out. "Wanna see a picture I drew yesterday?"

"Sure," Patton agrees before properly understanding what Remus just asked. He starts to take it back, but Remus has already jumped up, dashing down the hallway toward his room. Minutes later, he hurtles back, an enormous sheet of paper flapping behind him.

"See?" Remus says, excited, as he spreads the paper out on the floor. Patton's mouth falls open when he sees it. Remus has drawn all of them together. Remus stands between Deceit and his brother, while Patton, Logan, and Virgil round out the line. But that isn't what makes Patton gasp, his hands flying to cover his mouth.

They all stand on a bed of skulls. Blood stained skulls. 

"Remus, why on earth did you fill it with skulls? That's horrible!" flies out of his mouth before he can call it back. Remus jerks back, his eyes slowly filling with tears.

"I-" Patton swallows, trembling. "Remus, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you _did_ ," Remus says. His voice quivers, and Patton realizes just how young he really is when he's regressed. "Sorry I'm not like Ro Ro. Sorry I'm not _good_. You don't hafta watch me no more. I'll just stay in my room." He grabs his stuffed octopus and darts down the hallway again before Patton can grab him.

" _Fuck,_ " Patton says softly, with feeling. Guilt clogs his throat as he looks down at Remus's drawing. He leans closer, looking at the sides that Remus has so carefully drawn. Himself, in blue polo shirt and cat cardigan nestled across his shoulders. A big smile on his face. Smiles on everyone's faces, even Deceit's and Logan's. 

He drew them all together, as one big happy fam-ILY, and Patton...

Patton swallows hard. Patton ruined it.

He starts down the hallway, his hands knotted by his sides. Remus's door is half open and he can see Remus curled up on his bed, shoulders shaking as he cries.

"Remus?" He says quietly. Remus's head jerks up and more guilt splinters through him when he sees the messy tear tracks down Remus's cheeks. "May I come in?"

"I don't care," Remus says, curling up tighter around his stuffed octopus.

"I'm sorry," Patton says. "I shouldn't have said that. Your drawing- it's amazing. You're a really good artist, Remus. It was really creative."

"Bad creative," Remus mumbles, face buried in the soft plush of his octopus.

"No," Patton softly contradicts. "You aren't. I never- I should have never done that to you. I know that an apology doesn't mean much if it isn't backed up by actions, but I _am_ sorry, Remus. Please come back to the living room. I want to get to know _you_."

"I'm still not like Virgil," Remus says, uncoiling a little.

"I know," Patton says. "I don't want another Virgil. There already is one. I want to get to know _Remus_."

"Okay," Remus agrees quietly. He scrambles off the bed, shyly extending one hand when he reaches the doorway. Patton takes it, lacing their fingers together as he leads him back down the hallway.

"Can I have deodorant?" Remus asks hopefully. Patton laughs a little.

"Nice try, kiddo," he says. "Are goldfish okay?"

"Yeah," Remus says. "Patton?"

"Yes?" Patton asks. Remus smiles, revealing the gap in his teeth again.

"Thanks," he says.


End file.
